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"Sacramento police arrested a 29-year-old mother Tuesday after an investigation found her baby likely died from burns suffered in a microwave oven. Ka Yang was being held without bail in Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of murder and assault resulting in the death of a child.
She was arrested three months after her otherwise healthy 6-week-old daughter, Mirabelle Thao-Lo, was found dead in the family home on March 17.

Police described the child as suffering "extensive thermal injuries." Officer Laura Peck said the arrest took so long because investigators had to pinpoint what they believe is the cause of death by looking for other cases involving similar injuries. They found three in the U.S., all after children were burned in a microwave: in Dayton, Ohio; Galveston, Texas; and New Kent County, Va...."

That was exactly my thought when I came across the story. I double checked the dates. PPD? What else would cause a woman to do this? This one's hard for me as I have a 5 week old grandson whose Momma (my daughter) looks very much like this woman. She even has one of the same names. Our little guy, though, is safe and secure. It breaks my heart that Mirabelle had to suffer. Just, why???

I've looked for any sort of mitigating factor ie. as a disability or domestic violence and found nothing. I'm always curious as to whether a new mom has support and medical care when something like this happens.

In our case, the midwife is still coming to our daughter and son-in-law's home three times each week just to check on things. IMO, our society simply does not give new moms nearly enough support and so many live far from family these days. Sad sad sad.

"...police do not know a motive. She did not believe Yang had an attorney, and none was listed in jail records. "We wouldn't assess her mental condition. That will be up to the court system," [Officer, Laura] Peck said. "The bottom line is no one knows what happened in that house but her and the little baby."

Yang has three other children, all under age 7, who were removed from the home the day their sister was found dead. They are now living with relatives....

Another seizure??? This is what the woman in WV said. Seizing and blacking out is one thing. Fugue states (where one wanders or does things not remembered) is quite another. I have many many questions.

First off, people who have "split personalities" don't often know it. Secondly, the woman was caught lying when she should have been totally in shock upon learning that her child was dead. This doesn't sound like PPD. I'm not sure what's going on for this woman. She has quite a close extended family in the Central Valley. How I hope the other three children are being loved and cherished by that family.

Mother accused of killing baby in microwave said she might have split personality
June 22, 2011

"The woman accused of killing her baby in a microwave earlier this year repeatedly told authorities that the baby likely was injured during a fall as she suffered a blackout-inducing seizure, and even suggested that she suffered from a split personality..."

and

"....The investigation began on March 17, when paramedics were called to a home in the 800 block of Rood Avenue and found the infant severely burned. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

"...Yang admitted to lying, again claimed to have a seizure and stated she might have a split personality...."

"Ka Yang told Sacramento police officers that she had a seizure and dropped her infant daughter on a space heater the day she died. In court documents obtained by FOX40 today, investigators say when they opened the microwave in Yang's Rood Avenue home in March, 6-month-old Mirabelle Thao-Lo's pacifier was still inside...."

Another seizure??? This is what the woman in WV said. Seizing and blacking out is one thing. Fugue states (where one wanders or does things not remembered) is quite another. I have many many questions.

Given the apparent lies in this case (e.g., the story about dropping the baby on a space heater), I'm not sure what to beleive. However, in general, I wouldn't rule out the twilight period after a seizure as leading someone to do something like this by a horrible mistake.

My boyfriend has epilepsy. Thankfully, it's extremely well-controlled with medication now (he hasn't had a seizure in over 10 years). However, a mutual friend of ours who lived with him years ago, when he was sans health insurance, not medicated and had frequent seizures, one night told me some hilariously embarrassing stories of stuff he would do post-seizure (and with no memory of it later). In retrospect much of it is kind of funny, but especially the first time it happened (just a couple days after she moved in), she was seriously freaked out.

While he hasn't had a seizure in years, he still has the worst memory of anyone I have ever known (an extremely frustrating trait, sometimes). According to his doc, it's a side effect of the meds. There is no way that he'd accidentally put something in the microwave and not know it now, but based on what our friend told me about some of the things he did post-seizure back in the day, it doesn't seem all that far-fetched to me that someone in a twilight period could do something terribly tragic.

RLynne--Thanks for bringing up the issue of seizures. There are literally hundreds of types and not just related to epilepsy. I have Spinocerebellar Ataxia with Seizures and even with heavy meds, have almost daily seizures. I've been known to bite, scream, fight, break bones, head-butt, and run. My post ictal periods can last for a couple of days and I have absolutely no memory. I once had a seizure and wondered away from the house and was missing overnight. It was terrifying for everyone. This is exactly why I do not ever hold babies nor am I responsible for children. I sleep tethered in a cubby style bed and rarely see anyone other than my husband. My seizures are brought on by the tiniest sudden noise or movement do to a degenerating cerebellum.

But, if this woman truly has an uncontrolled level of seizure activity, why would she lie? Why would she be left alone with a tiny infant? I understand dropping a child but then to lie after the baby's been declared dead? And I think that if she truly seized, her family and doctor would be stepping forward to defend her. The only thing I could accept as a possibility is some sort of fugue state which was brought on by an epileptic or pseudo-seizure. I still think her response to the news would have been much much different after she "came to", though. She'd be devastated instead of defiant.

The woman who killed her baby in a microwave in West Virginia tried this defense and it didn't fly.

But you are absolutely correct. People can do horrific and seemingly outrageous things while in the post ictal period. We're not all here. Heck, I'm glad to be half here, even when I'm not seizing.